The Rangers' Brad Richards, left, and the Ottawa Senators' Zack Smith face off in the first period at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Both players scored in the period.

Written by

Rick Carpiniello

This was one of those games that could have gone either way, and last season the Rangers won most of those.

And they had won some more of them during the four-game winning streak they carried into Friday night's game.

But they let this one get away. The Rangers bounced back from an early two-goal hole, had a bunch of chances to go ahead in the third period, and then gave it up in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators. ...